Governor’s Office Statement on the State Budget

Ford Porter, Spokesperson for Governor Roy Cooper, shared the following statement after meeting with Republican and Democratic legislative leadership to discuss the state budget: 

Governor Cooper and Democratic leaders again made clear to Republican leaders that they oppose corporate tax cuts, unaccountable school vouchers and the SCIF slush fund and said that any budget compromise has to include discussion of Medicaid expansion, a school and infrastructure bond and significantly higher teacher salaries. Governor Cooper indicated today that these items are negotiable, but Republican leaders have nearly completed their budget and are unwilling to discuss all of these important priorities that benefit our state. 

Governor Cooper and Democratic legislators are ready for a real budget negotiation that will find common ground between the two sides, but Republicans are simply refusing to engage in a robust, comprehensive conversation about a compromise. 

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